Project CARS – Build 427 Available

Slightly Mad Studios have released a new weekly build of their WMD-powered Project CARS simulation.

The new build is available to all members with Team Member status and above, catching everyone up with the advancements the SMS developers have made during a busy week as you can see in the build notes below.

Build 427 is available via the Project CARS launcher that is available on the WMD Downloads Page

Click Here for Release Notes for All Builds Released During the Past Week

Build 426 (14/3/13, Senior Manager)Render:
* Shader error message given more detail
* Fix for lods on reflection
* Improved cloud env map settings for performance + setup new face offset for this map.
* Reduce cloud env map resolution – it’s only ever convolved so 128×128 is way more than enough for low to high reflections
* Fix a performance issue with Envmaps when MSAA was enabled (this incorrectly cleared the phase 3 depth) but since the envmap never uses MSAA the depth can be shared (provides a 1.5-2.5% overall speedup)
* Fix clearing of the convolve render-target – the convolve renders to the whole quad and the clear is no longer needed for SLI/XF
* Add ‘face offset’ support to the CDynamicEnvmap class – allows each envmap to have a unique face offset so they aren’t all rendering the same faces each frame which causes peaking loadingEnviroment:
* Added AddKeyLight and RemoveKeyLight methods to EnvironmentManager for main menu usage
* Add cloudenvmap place holder setting for when the viewsettings are re-enabled againHUD:
* Fix for HUD ‘lite’ not working
* RUF logo added to splash screen and Happy St Patrick’s Day everyone!Shaders:
* Changed the variable-range glossiness control to use mip-biasing on the envmap lookup, as well as blending to the specular convolution, this removing the odd looking pin-sharp reflections on semi matte surfaces
* Fix for basic translucent shadow-gen missing shader discard! it previously relied upon alpha coverage to work at all!Tracks:
* Solitude Rennstrecke: New export
* Solitude Rennstrecke: New AIW
* Moravia: Exported sitting crowds + crowds placementVehicles:
* Pagani Huayra: Alpha2 driver anims

Build 424 (12/3/13, Manager+)Common:
* New GUIName entries
* Added main PhysX header to main header of Support Physics library, to allow more convenient use of PhysX SDK
* Updated include paths of all common library projects that use Support Physics (directly or indirectly), so PhysX headers are visible to them.
* Removed unnecessary includes of main PhysX header from .cpp files of Support Physics libraryBase:
* Ensure that msg queue alloc goes to the correct new overloadTweakIt:
* Change so FOV is updated from TweakitAnimations:
* Tidy up vehicle anims code and switch to mix or play animations to avoid replacement of existing animations in some cases (such as wipers replacing suspension ones)Render:
* Implement Shadow LOD scaling and size culling + fix identification of non player vehicles in vehicle meshes
* DX11 Fix Alpha to Coverage setting – sorts out crappy looking foliage/transparencies on ATI cards in all AA modes without MSAA. MSAA modes are correct as is
* App Side hookup main menu and new renderer downsampling scales.
* Render Task re-ordering for HDR Motion Blur – moves ForwardPostBlur rendering which incorporates both MB and Windscreens directly after the Forward rendering task
* DX9/DX11 Renderer support for HDR motion blur in the Post Processing control module
* Add DX9/DX11 Renderer helpers for downscaling width and height scaling
* Added new double-sided render contexts in preparation for use in plants etcShaders:
* MotionBlur shader – fixed for HDR support + fixed for fringe bug in all modes except MSAA
* Windscreen and Visor ForwardPostBlur shaders adjusted to work in HDRBug Fixing:
* Fixed memory leaks and missing file/line & trace info for a number of allocs
* Fixed memory leaks and missing file/line & trace info for a number of allocs. Added leak dump on exit in all configs (assert currently disabled)HUD Editor:
* Better quad selection now based on Mesh bounding box and projected screen coordinates
* Fixup the Editor HUD view cycling to use the new control methodTracks:
* Heusden: Darkened some textures
* Bathurst: Turn 12 and last corner inside cut tracks tightened up one curb width
* Eifelwald: New sitting crowdsVehicles:
* BMW M3 E30: Fixed car colour. No more just red BMW’s
* BMW M3 E30: Fixed UV mapping

For everyone having trouble with the development pace of Project CARS, BenBuja has put together a neat new gameplay video, showing off some of the new cars and features that have recently been added to Project CARS.

Project CARS is coming to the PC, Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Wii U in 2014. More info can be found on the WMD website.

marcusban

2014, hmmm

http://twitter.com/TheRoggan Roger

Its better to get it later than sooner (we can drive it anytime anyway) as long as they get the physics properly tuned and up to the level of the visuals!

Imagine pCars with AC level tiremodel and physics! If that takes until 2014 its perfectly fine by me 🙂

Noel Hibbard

TBH hearing 2014 is the best new I have heard about pCARS is a while. The odds of them ditching the NFS physics are much greater in that sort of time frame.

pez2k .

Eero Pitulainen’s Shift tyre model has been gone for quite a long time now. Try driving the Capri, for example, and if you think that’s anything like any NFS title then I want to know where I can buy it.

http://twitter.com/xxHojoxx xxHojoxx

The Capri is one of the better cars in the game but the underlying physics still have a long way to go if realism is the aim. AC, RF2 and the older established sims still do a better job, tyre modelling is important but so is the rest of car dynamics.

Anonymous

Get a life.

pez2k .

The game is beginning to approach alpha, but it’s not going to be rushed for Xmas. The current estimate is early 2014 for the required level of polish and bugfixing – SMS have added a lot more community-requested features than they initially expected to hence the increase in time.

Anonymous

It was pretty easily foreseen that this would happen and the community is perfectly okay with this for the most part.

Guest

Anyone know why I cant get external or bonnet cam anymore?

http://www.facebook.com/howiemotz Howard Motz

The views are divided into “interior” and “exterior”. You must dedicate a key in the controls menu to switch them.

Big Ron

Cams are sorted into three groups. You need to hold the button with which you change the view to change groups.

Anonymous

I think we are up to 7 possible driving views. Like as said the Cam views are divided into 3. The internal driving views the external driving views and the external non-driving views.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Markus-Ott/100000878526131 Markus Ott

Not very surprising considering how many cars aren’t even started to be modelled yet. Good decision by SMS to be more interested in quality than profit of the christmas sales.

Anonymous

Every sim developer is better off being ‘slow and steady’ than releasing rushed content that ends up being of poor quality. Fortunately, for the most part, they’re all learning that lesson.

Mutley

Getting very worried about pCars recently.
Have had high hopes of this being `the sim to have`.

When was the last time you watched a real life race, and a car was being driven around with its door flapping around, I know it could and probably does happen, but really !! come on calm it down (surely it would also stand a chance of being slammed shut again by cornering forces or another car).

Next. What`s with the wobbliest mirrors in the world, are they held on with springs ?. That video above, there`s an in car view and that internal rear view mirror is a joke.

Next. How SHINY are these cars. Most brand new cars have a certain amount of `orange peel` effect to them straight out of the showrooms, pCars must of been flattened down with 1 million grade wet `n` dry for a couple of weeks to get that effect. Way to glossy.
Next. Are all car racing sims following the same pattern of cars. Where are some nice old school Ford Escorts and 911`s, I could go on and on and on….

Anonymous

Wow, fabulous, you just identified several things that are considered ‘polish’ and will be addressed after the content is in place. Well done!

Mutley

I wasn’t trying to be an arse about it. This is my most looked forward to Sim`. I was worried that this was going to be the way it is. Very, very happy it isn’t. Cheers.

Anonymous

Fair enough, I read it as you were expecting fixes at this point… Sorry.

Mutley

No probs` 🙂
Just pointing some things out that I hadn’t heard anyone else mention. (Obvious ones I know, but still, I wanted to check).
This sim can take as long as it likes to come to its conclusion as far as im concerned. Make it perfect.

pez2k .

The Mk1 Escort is licensed, but the Porsche license is owned by EA. The last time they let anyone else use it was for the Forza 4 Porsche expansion, and the license fees were rumoured to be as much as $15 per sale of the pack, plus up front costs. pCARS does however have the 930-based Ruf CTR licensed, not quite a Carrera RS 2.7 but it’s an aircooled 911 at least.

Mutley

Wow I never knew that sort of pricing structure thing happened, greedy little sods.
Other than that, even happier 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to reply.

Alejandro Gorgal

To address your questions:

1-The damage model is barely a place holder. In fact, some of the newer cars have a completely different system which leads me to believe that either system will eventually dropped.

2-Mirrors and other wobbly things will be physics based, but right now the focus is on finishing the tire model before getting into cosmetic parts.

3-Cars look shiny because they don’t have an ambient occlusion bake just yet, if you look at the latest export of the Capri (which does have an AO bake) it looks very natural and not even remotely as shiny.

4-The full car list is still being discussed but I think it’s pretty good.

Mutley

Thanks for reply Alejandro. All good.

Matt Orr

And people said I was just bashing pCars for saying it’ll be 2014 at earliest.

Again, why would I want a sim to fail?

Anonymous

Well I responded to your post in the other thread not because you may have said pCARS would be 2014. I think it had to do with some of the comments based toward physics. Like I said I just assumed you were negative when it could have just been a string of negative posts on your behalf. Just as you I also have just about every sim going back a decade and have enjoyed the most if not all of them for one reason or another.

Brandon Miller

That Wurth Capri on the screenshot above is just pure money! It looks awesome. Waiting till 2014 is no problemo at all! With weekly updates we can grow with pCars into the sim it needs to be. All for 45 bucks.. and it’s like Xmas every Friday!

GamerMuscle

They still have a long way to go with the physics so it makes sense to push back the release date , at the moment it has some cars that are passable but all in all the way the cars drive is very wonky.

If they get things right though with the release date they now have I think they can hit the next generation of consoles running.

I also think multi platform with a console focus is where the most the money is to be had with a racing game like this , it could certainly push games like GT5 and Forza out of the way given enough marketing.

http://twitter.com/AtomHunt Tom Hunt

Delays are a good thing, it’s much better than them rushing. Seems weird to still put it on the old generation though, I can’t imagine 360 and ps3 game sales being very good a year from now.

http://twitter.com/DesotellRacing Josh Desotell

Where did you hear 2014? On the forums?

pez2k .

Yes, there are a few threads about the projected overall feature list, and Ian Bell confirmed in one of them that they won’t quite make Q4 2013 with the level of polish they want.

http://www.facebook.com/mario.smith.79677 Mario Smith

Oculus Rift: Great that you are working with them, that will be a gigantic sales point with me.